This article is part of our Tennis Picks series.
French Open 2025: Key Underdogs Ready to Shine in Second Round
The second round of the French Open continues Thursday from the clay courts of Stade Roland Garros in Paris, France. A French underdog will look to thrill the crowd like he has on many previous occasions, while a few players in the women's draw have opportunities to build on impressive first-round results.
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All men's singles matches at Grand Slams such as the French Open are best of five sets, while women's singles matches are best of three sets. A mix of players' previous clay court results, recent form and stylistic matchups can help pinpoint intriguing betting opportunities, both among favorites likely to cruise to victory and underdogs ready to pull off upsets. The aforementioned underdogs are highlighted in the Upset Alert section, the Lock It In section covers players who can safely be viewed as favorites, while the Value Bets section recommends enticing options in matchups that are considered closer to toss-ups.
French Open Tennis Picks: Upset Alert
Gael Monfils (+425) vs. Jack Draper
Monfils had an injury scare with his knee when he crashed into the sidewall early in the first set of his first-round match, but he bounced back from both that and a two-set deficit to escape with a 4-6, 3-6, 6-1, 7-6 (4), 6-1 win over Hugo Dellien. The veteran Frenchman will be playing with house money in this match as the underdog, and Monfils will undoubtedly have the crowd in his corner. Draper reached a clay-court Masters 1000 final in Madrid, but the Brit generally prefers faster courts, with a .576 career win rate on clay compared to .654 and .682 marks on hard courts and grass, respectively. Monfils' defense could prove tough for Draper to penetrate on clay, especially if Draper gets off to another slow start like he did in his 3-6, 6-1, 6-4, 6-2 first-round win over Mattia Bellucci.
Magdalena Frech (+175) vs. Marketa Vondrousova
Frech took out former world No. 2 Ons Jabeur, 7-6 (4), 6-0 in an impressive first-round performance, and the No. 25 seed will look to knock off another notable opponent in the second round. Vondrousova still has significant questions floating around regarding her form, as her 6-4, 6-4 first-round win over 147th-ranked Oksana Selekhmeteva was Vondrousova's first match in more than three months due to a shoulder injury. The 2019 French Open runner-up and 2023 Wimbledon champion seems to be serving at less than full effectiveness in the aftermath of the shoulder problem, as she had just one ace and six double faults in the first round. Frech is much more capable of exploiting any rust in Vondrousova's game than Selekhmeteva was.
Honorable Mention
Nao Hibino (+320) vs. Hailey Baptiste
French Open Tennis Odds: Lock It In
Jessica Bouzas Maneiro (-240) vs. Robin Montgomery
Bouzas Maneiro had arguably the most impressive performance of any player in the first round, blowing away No. 9 seed Emma Navarro, 6-0, 6-1. The 68th-ranked Spaniard has created a nice opportunity for herself to reach the third round for the third time in her last four Grand Slam appearances. She'll take on Navarro's 115th-ranked American compatriot Montgomery, who came into this tournament with just one career main-draw Grand Slam win.
Paula Badosa (-425) vs. Elena Gabriela Ruse
Badosa had some questions about her health heading into this tournament but answered those with a 6-7 (1), 6-1, 6-4 first-round win over Naomi Osaka. The No. 10 seed has never lost prior to the third round at the French Open, and that's unlikely to change against the 41st-ranked Ruse, who has made it past the second round at a Grand Slam only once and has a 6-11 career record in majors. Both of their previous meetings came down to the wire on hard courts, but Badosa should have an easier time creating some separation on clay.
Honorable Mention
Arthur Fils (-575) vs. Jaume Munar
French Open Tennis Predictions: Value Bets
Denis Shapovalov (-185) vs. Filip Misolic
Shapovalov can be streaky, and he looks to be riding high at the moment after a convincing 6-2, 6-0, 6-3 first-round win over Pedro Martinez. There's a massive talent gap between the 31st-ranked Shapovalov, who has been as high as No. 10, and the 153rd-ranked Misolic, who has never cracked the top 125. Misolic is into the second round of the French Open for a second consecutive year, but those are his only two career Grand Slam main-draw wins.
Alycia Parks (+150) vs. Elsa Jacquemot
Parks' game is better suited for faster courts, but the big-serving American showed she can produce impressive results on clay as well, beating 2023 French Open finalist Karolina Muchova 6-3, 2-6, 6-1 in the first round. The 52nd-ranked Parks should dictate play in the second round against the 138th-ranked Jacquemot, who is just 2-7 in Grand Slam main draw matches in her career. If Parks can keep her error count in check and avoid getting distracted by the crowd, she has a great chance to build on her strong showing from the opening round.
Honorable Mention
Anhelina Kalinina (-105) vs. Lois Boisson
